Monday, 23 November 2015

“'A.I.'
was actually not even started when the record company asked about how
it was coming along. The band line-up at that time had all but gone,
thing's were a real mess and there was no sense of direction.
However, after the new band line-up, 'The Inevitable Rise...' had a
clear direction from the start and although it was a long haul, it
was worth it.”

Deadfilmstar have been a staple of the
British underground music scene for many years. Their gritty
industrial and metal tinged gothic rock has seen them supporting
names such as Mortiis, Combichrist, KMFDM and many others. Though the
band have been a visible presence and received many positive reviews
for the their live performances the band's debut album proper 'The
Inevitable Rise & Fall Of Fake White & The Ill Fated Tour'
has only just recently seen the light of day despite being in the
works for a long time. Intravenous Magazine caught up with
Deadfilmstar front-man Gary Mobley to talk about the new album, the
one that was disowned and surviving the underground.

Intravenous
Magazine: You are a familiar name on the UK live scene, but for those
who aren't familiar with Deadfilmstar, how would you summarise the
band's journey from your formation to now?

Gary
Mobley: Hard! - Seriously, at a time when most of the UK Goth
scene was going bleep,bleep,bleep we crashed in going THRANG!!
Thankfully, nowadays it's better evened out.

IVM:
You've just released 'The Inevitable Rise & Fall Of Fake White &
The Ill Fated Tour', which has been a few years in the works. How do
you feel now that it is finally released?

GM:
Relieved! - A track from the album is featured on the cover CD of
this month's Terrorizer magazine and so far reviews have been very
positive.

IVM:
How do you feel the songs have developed since their initial demo
versions to what we have on the album?

GM:
The early demo's were very much headed
in the right direction and although it took an age it was important
not veer away from that initial sound they had... It was also
important not have the finished album sounding too polished as we
wanted a raw rock sound so yeah, I'd like to think we've done the
demo's justice.

IVM: The
album is dark and quite angry. What were your primary influences when
writing the songs for the album?

GM:
Among other things, true to life experiences and endless re-runs
of movies like Breaking Glass, The Privilege, White Star, What Ever
Happened To Baby Jane and Pink Floyd The Wall.

IVM:
The album's title evokes the likes of David Bowie's 'The Rise And
Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars'. Is there a story
or concept running throughout the album, and if so would you care to
explain it?

GM:
Yes, but although the 'rise and fall' was deliberately ripped from
Bowie and a somewhat obvious influence, it was the real life story of
the late Sean Purcell from the band Raped and later the Cuddly Toys
that particularly inspired parts of the album rather than the
fictional Ziggy.

IVM:
The album has been released under your own Death2Me imprint. What led
to this decision and how do you feel it has worked for the band?

GM: It
just gravitated that way. How has it worked? We got the record out!!!

IVM:This is technically your second album
under the Deadfilmstar name, but the first that reflects the true
industrial rock nature of the band. Is the low-fi cyber style of your
first album 'A.Rtistic I.Ntegrity' something that you would ever look
to revisit, and are there any songs on there that you still enjoy?

GM:
No and no. I really
don't like that album. Some people do and that's fine but, I'd rather
it never existed. Still, I'm very grateful to Nightbreed Records for
going with the release at that time.

IVM:
How did you find the process of recording your latest album compared
to the first one?

GM:
Both were a nightmare for different reasons. 'A.I.' was actually not
even started when the record company asked about how it was coming
along. The band line-up at that time had all but gone, thing's were a
real mess and there was no sense of direction. However, after the new
band line-up, 'The Inevitable Rise...' had a clear direction from the
start and although it was a long haul, it was worth it.

IVM:You've been a constant of the live scene
for a number of years – how has that shaped your perspective of the
music business?

GM:
Let's just say, time often presents a very different picture of what
you first perceived.

IVM:In that time you've built up a very
impressive list of support slots with band's like KMFDM, Combichrist,
Mortiis, Orgy, and Christian Death. Which have been your favourite
experiences and why?

GM:
They've all been great and we're very lucky to have shared the stage
with bands such as these. For myself, the guy's from Mortiis will
always be top of the pile.

IVM:
Bands have a tendency to come and go on the UK scene, and as you've
been around for a while now are there any other bands that have sadly
broken up that you wish hadn't?

GM: If
you mean bands I personally knew? Yes, Pro-jekt, Squid and KIK spring
to mind - As well as the music, those three bands were really good to
us at various stages of trying to get a foothold on the scene.

IVM:Are there any plans for a music video to
support the new album?

GM:
I have talked to a director that I very much admire. He likes what we
are doing. Hopefully,we may see something next year.

IVM:
It may be a bit premature to ask, but do you have any plans forming
for the next album?

GM: Not
an album but, I do have a cover of the Human League's 'Seconds' in
the mix which I'm very pleased with.

IVM:
Are there any live dates coming up?

GM: Not
until well into early 2016.

IVM:
Finally is there anything that you'd like to add?

GM:
Thank's for having us!

Deadfilmstar's début album 'The Inevitable Rise & Fall Of Fake
White & The Ill Fated Tour' is available to purchase now through
Death2Me Records. For more information please visit the band's
official website.